Looping animated gif of the unique orbit TESS will fly. At 13.7 days, it is exactly half of the Moon's orbit, which lets the Moon stabilize it. During the part of the orbit marked with blue, TESS will observe the sky, collecting science data. During the orange part, when TESS is closest to Earth, it will transmit that data to the ground.

Liquid water can’t pool on just any planet. For starters, a planet needs to be just the right temperature to support liquid water on its surface, which means that it can’t be too close or too far from its host star. This just-right region around a star is called the “habitable zone.” The newest planet hunter, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), will seek planets around other stars, and might just find some in that special region. Square animated gif.

Liquid water can’t pool on just any planet. For starters, a planet needs to be just the right temperature to support liquid water on its surface, which means that it can’t be too close or too far from its host star. This just-right region around a star is called the “habitable zone.” The newest planet hunter, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), will seek planets around other stars, and might just find some in that special region. Animated gif.

Liquid water can’t pool on just any planet. For starters, a planet needs to be just the right temperature to support liquid water on its surface, which means that it can’t be too close or too far from its host star. This just-right region around a star is called the “habitable zone.” The newest planet hunter, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), will seek planets around other stars, and might just find some in that special region. Animation.